Your company is growing the top line but some of your original managers are getting out of their depth. You know to truly scale the business that some of the roles of the original managers need to be redefined.
To be fair your original employees may have performed at an excellent level in a narrow role. Or they may have performed with great enthusiasm, working long hours in a broad role to get jobs done. But there comes a time when new, experienced talent needs to brought in to scale the company. A new bar needs to be set. This can be a difficult but essential transition for a business to fulfill its potential.
Helpful Tips
- Explain the situation openly and honestly to those relevant managers. They deserve that.
- Explain in the interests of the company new talent needs to drive these agenda items and that you are looking for their support to help the new talent succeed. Explain how the new talent relates to the objectives of the company.
- Redefine a reasonable role that the original manager can perform well and confirm the stress and pressure this will relieve.
- Emphasize the essential role that the manager will continue to perform and the context of the role with the big objectives of the company.
- Confirm the financial reward is not changing but that expectations are being reset.
- Confirm the new senior talent will be expected to mentor and share their knowledge to allow the original manager to learn some new tricks and to offer personal development (this may not be possible every time).
These actions may not totally alleviate the disappointment felt by your loyal servant who was there with you at the start of the company but it’s the right thing to do.
